Frequently Asked Questions

A martingale is a dog collar that doesn't have a buckle on it (it can have a buckle if you want it to). It has 2 loops, a big loop that goes over the dogs head, and then a little loop that the leash attaches to. If the dog pulls on the leash, the little loop tightens and pulls the bigger loop tight around the dogs neck. The martingale can be adjusted so to not be too tight on the dogs neck.

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Why the martingale and not a regular collar?

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This is a personal call of mine. I can't stand when I see a dog with a really tight collar on, especially when they curl up to sleep and their neck bulges up against the already tight collar. I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must be for them. Or when they get that collar wet and it keeps that moisture tight up against their skin for hours if not days. At the same time though, I can understand the importance of making sure that that collar doesn't come off, especially if their information to get them back home is on it. I switched over to martingales because my dogs are rarely on a leash and never tied. The martingales get to stay nice and soo loose around their necks, but if I need to grab them quick or put them on a leash, I don't have to worry about it slipping off or being too loose since it immediately tightens up. I hear from a lot of customers that the martingale was recommended by their trainers. I personally haven't looked much into it but I know this is considered the more humane choke collar.

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How do I know what width I need for dog?

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If your dog's neck is 18 inches around or more, we recommend a minimum of 1 inch or wider. Tiny breeds do fine with 1/2" collars even breeds like Pugs and Jack Russels can fall into this category. 3/4" are great for dogs the size of Beagles, small hounds, Shiba Inus, (our 55 lb shepherd/pit mix wears this size). 1" to 1 1/4" is great for shepherds, labs, Doberman, Pit Bulls, Standard Poodles (the stronger they are or more often they're on a leash, the wider I'd go). 1 1/2" or bigger is ideal for Great Danes, Mastiffs, St Bernards. Greyhounds and Whippets are understood better by the owner than me, we have made collars up to 2" for these breeds.

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What if my dog is insanely strong and tends to break most collars?

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We make specialized collars for crazy strong dogs, or dogs that really cannot afford to break their collar since they're dog aggressive. We use a very thick leather, the kind that they make horse harnesses with and extra thick solid hardware to prevent breaking. All of our collars are double stitched, these are quadruple stitched. These collars start off a little stiff but break in and become softer with time and use.

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How do I adjust the collar?

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We use whats called a "double loop slider". Simply slide this metal piece in one direction to loosen the collar or slide it in the opposite direction to tighten it. Be sure that the right "loop" has been placed over your dogs neck. Sometimes if there is too much slack, it can look like there's 3 loops and get a little confusing.

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How do I know how tight to make it?

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Personally, if I pull on the tiny loop, my dog's martingale gets tight enough to feel like a tight collar, they wouldn't be able to slip out of it anyway shape or form. So when I'm not pulling on the tiny loops, the martingale is so loose that I can fit a fist between their neck and the leather. Some people prefer to keep the martingale tight around the dogs neck in general, that way when the small loop is pulled, it really acts like a choke collar. It's truly a personal call knowing your pup and what they need but being able to fit 2 fingers between the leather and neck is considered a good standard, this ensures that when the tiny loop is pulled it will be really tight but is loose enough to be comfortable when not pulled on.

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What should I get if my dog gets tied outside?

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The Double D martingale or buckle-less. I personally do not recommend martingales for dogs that are tied. I made this style for the person that wants a martingale but uses an outside tie and doesn't want to have to constantly switch collars. The double D has 2 D rings on it, one that allows the collar to tighten and one that doesn't. The outdoor run or tie down should be attached to the D ring that doesn't tighten the collar. I worry that if a dog was somehow able to get the tiny loop to pull tight and not release, they would be choked the whole time until someone noticed.

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Can I get a matching leash and collar?

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Of course! The only reason this gets complicated is because we use "bridle" leather, the kind for horse harnesses, for our leashes. In order for the leash and collar to match, they need to be made of the same leather. Send us an email or use the contact form and we'll step you through how to order this. To get started, simply visit the leash listing in our shop and choose a leather color from the photos, let us know in the email which color you'd like.

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Can I order a cat collar?

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Absolutely! Email us or fill out the contact form

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What am I able to customize?

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Honestly, everything. Everything we make is custom made, which means you can pick anything you want. Anything from leather color, to embellishments to nameplates to sizes to thread. There's rainbow hardware and hand stamped nameplates with cute pictures on them. Just contact us.

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Can you make a collar even wider than 1 3/4"?

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Sure can, just message us

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Will the leather stain my dog's beautiful coat?

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From what we have made, seen and heard, nope! And we've had a decent amount of customers with this concern. If this is a big concern for your pup (mostly our lighter colored friends) just let us know in the notes at checkout. If you've chosen something that's questionable... purple leather or something like that... we would let you know before creating it and have you choose something else